The FastDay Forum

Hi All

Well after about 12 weeks on 5:2 i'd only lost 7lbs. 7lbs more than i'd lost on any other diet though!

The last 2/3 weeks i've been watching my cals and doing 1200-1350 a day average - not 5:2, but I also noticed that while i'd been doing 5:2 i was letting a lot more carbs creep back into my diet. Crisps, chocolate, and potatoes and rice that I wasnt eating before. (can't eat gluten so most carbs aren't an issue and i've eaten mid-carb for the last year or so)

So anyway, I havent lost anything in the last 6 weeks. Getting very annoyed, as i've really overhauled my diet, stopped the chocolate, crips, gave up diet soda (i was drinking that a lot) and drinking a lot more water.

I've also been doing the 30 day shred and walking around 40-50 miles per month for the last 3 or 4 months. Recently, as i'm getting over a leg injury I have been cycling and tentatively running again, although i'm not sure if that'll last as i'm still in pain.

Anyway, the point is, does anyone else find that they need to be low carb bascially all the time to see a loss? I think that's my issue. Even with a mid-carb diet that includes potatoes and small amounts of rice, high carb fruits etc I don't seem to get a very good loss. Additionally after a year of taking a SSRI for anxiety, i'd put on a lot of weight, which i'm still struggling to lose, and reading a lot of info on the specific drug it appears that it can mess your metabolism up, specifically when it comes to carbs.

I *think* this is the issue for me, so i've decided to try and cut more carbs, and go back to 5:2 and see if that kick starts the loss again.

Meantime in the 3 weeks of exercise, diet overhaul etc I have lost 8.5 inches so far and also a few % body fat, so I know it's not a plateau as such, but it is fustrating. I have about 40lbs minimum to lose, so it's not like i'm near the finish either!

Any advice re: Carbs or tips or anything gratefully received!

Hi there, I read your post and heres my simplistic take on it,
You did 5:2 and lost weight ( it worked better than any other diet) you then changed it to calorie restriction, it didn't work. You got annoyed. You've been doing exercise ( replacing fat with heavier muscle ). You are now stressing about carbs.

My advice, go back onto 5:2, keep going with exercise, and stop stressing.
I don't carb count ( I have done in the past) but, I find I naturally eat less carbs with 5:2. I don't need lashings of mash, rice and pasta with my meals. I get bloated if I do. Listen to your body and not your mind, because it sounds like your mind is stressing about the carbs, and stress doesn't help.
5:2 gives slow weight loss, this is good. If it works,and it was, why change it.
I wish you luck in your journey, have a look at your losses so far it's all going in the right direction x

Thanks Minsmum, you're right, i'm constantly stressing about how to lose the weight, but it's because i'm annoyed and fed up with it.

But I also think that for some people they do have to be really careful about what they eat, and it's not as simple as just doing 5:2.

I will try 5:2 again and try and relax about it. Thanks for the advice

No worries

I totally agree that some do have to watch what they eat, what I am trying to say is only you know what your body can and cannot deal with, listen to it, don't tell it what it needs.
I'm all for limiting carbs, my stomach will bloat like anything if I eat to much of the stuff (think pregnant with a football) not a good look.
I just felt the stress vibes coming from your post!

Good luck xx

[janeg]

rebelsue, think that's good advice from Minsmum!
I lose very slowly (about 1/4 lb a week if that) but just keep plodding on. The centimetres are going , like yours are. SSRIs are a pain for weight gain, make weight loss more difficult but, like many with medical conditions, keeping on keeping on does have some effect.
If you can relax into this WIL/WOE a bit, you'll lower the cortisol (stress hormone which is counterproductive to weight loss) you'll be kinder to yourself and hopefully the weight will shift.
Good luck

Haha Minsmum, I didn't mean to write it in a stressy way, but you're right, I do over think and get stressed with it. It doesnt help that everything seems to be focussed on weight, papers, friends, my mum and I seem to have too much time to think about it all, work is quiet, i'm single, live alone....

Janeg - yeah i'd love to be able to lower my stress levels, I think maybe because it's been a few weeks stuck and also because i'm due to go on holiday i'm panicing about putting on weight again.

It's probably because i'm a naturally stressy and anxious person anyway that I ended up on the SSRI's and now weigh more than I ever did before - I've always been naturally at a normal weight my whole life before the SSRI's so it's still fairly new for me to be constantly worried about weight.

Exercise helps the anxiety and stress and I'm much happier and more relaxed (although maybe not as much as I think)

I will try and chill out a bit and hopefully that'll help!

[janeg]

The exercise definitely helps! There are threads about managing this WOE/WOL on the boards adn lots of tips about keeping going on holiday. 16:8 has been popular.
Many of us have had our holidays , some have kept the same weight, some have put on, some have lost! The common thing is that when we're all back to the ordinary day to day, we have the tools and skills to shift any little extras! So one less thing to worry about!
Have a great holiday. Going anywhere exciting?

I think it should be ok, only 4 days, but it's Italy. Land of pizza and pasta (neither of which I can eat!) haha... so i'm hoping it'll be lots of chicken, veg and maybe fish

But, it's a free holiday, my pals work run a competition every year where the top sales people win a holiday and he won, and asked if I wanted to go with him! So its 4 days, all paid for, on the Amalfi Coast in a 5 star hotel with all excursions etc planned for us!

I've been on one before and it was amazing, perfect for relaxing because they organise everything, so all I have to do is show up and chill out!

[carorees]

If it's too scary, I could go on your behalf...I'm only thinking of your health of course...

I only have potatoes or pasta at weekends and I am a real carb fan. I do 5:2 plus 16:8 all week and then relax a bit at weekends. Hope I haven't made you feel worse by saying that I experience the same as you. After 6 months at it I am having a small jacket potato for lunch today because I fancy one! Try not to stress over it too much and absolutely eat pizza and pasta in Italy. How could you not??? I ate whatever I liked on holiday this year (but not loads of it) and put on 1lb that came straight off the following week. Enjoy your holiday

Lol at @carorees

If it's too scary, I could go on your behalf...I'm only thinking of your health of course...

Haha thanks Carorees! I think i'll manage

Wendy - No you haven't made me feel worse... I can't eat pasta and pizza in Italy anyway because I can't eat wheat - however I also hear there are some amazing gluten free alterntatives over there so who knows!

I'm sure the damage will be minimal in 4 days, and we'll be walking and i'll be being sensible

I feel a little more relaxed about it already - thanks everyone!